Ultimate Redemption
by T. W. Quill
Summary: SPOILERS FOR Eps 22 & 23. Peter takes Ben home to reunite him with Aunt May for the first time since Ben came "back from the dead". Peter is excited to have his friend and teammate back, but Ben is anxious to face the woman that gave him his name. Can Peter convince Ben that all is forgiven, and how does Aunt May react when she finally sees Ben again?
1. Chapter 1

_"Last night, the Triscellion was attacked. People thought it was Scarlett Spider, who recently returned after being "dead" for a while, along with the Spider Slayers; synthezoids created by Doc Ock to destroy me. But it turned out to be Kaine, Doc Ock's first synthezoid. By working as a team we beat the synthoes and Scarlet proved his trustworthiness. But after reintroducing Ben to everyone at SHIELD, there's still one very important person to see."_

* * *

"We're almost there!" Peter said over his shoulder as he and Ben Reilly walked down the familiar street in his neighborhood. Ben was silence.

"What, no "I know that Punk" or "Really, I hadn't noticed," ?" Peter teased, mimcing Ben's grundgy voice. Ben just shrugged his shoulders at the jest. "No Ben sass? Really? Huh, just when I thought things were getting back to normal around here."

Silence.

"Oh come on, don't tell me _the_ Scarlet Spider is afraid of a little old lady?" The other Spider looked at Peter, then towards the house they were standing in front of. Peter's shoulders slumped. He knew what this was like. He knew it wasn't easy for Ben right now. He stopped and took a few steps back towards Ben. "Look, I get it - believe me I do - facing her is no easy task, but she cares about you Ben an-"

"Stop calling me that!" Scarlett snapped.

"Uh, I kinda have to. It's your name."

"I don't have a name; only humans have names, and a I definitely don't deserve the name of your uncle. He was a _good_ man, and I'm a half-bread betrayer who turned on the only people to ever give a care about me."

"If that's how you feel, then why'd you let me drag you here?" Peter asked.

Scarlet was silent for a moment. "Because…I came to say goodbye."

"What!?" _I can't believe this! After all we've been through he wants to leave?_ "Why? If this is about what Flash or Bucket Head were saying then don't listen to them!" Peter put a hand on Scarlet's shoulder. "You're a person, and a good one at that."

"Maybe, but regardless, I can't stay."

"Why not!?" Peter's ire rising.

Scarlet clenched his fists. "BECAUSE-!" He shouted before his head and shoulders drooped. "Because, I… don't deserve the name: Ben or Spider."

 _Is… is he saying he's not worthy to be a part of this? Whoa!_ Peter was thoughtful for a while, before finally, "Come on!" He said walking past Scarlet the way they had come. Ben followed, confused.

A short time later, after swinging back into the city, the two S.H.I.E.L.D students set down on the roof of a mall.

"Why are we here?" Scarlet asked in his usual annoyed tone.

"I want to show you something. You see that large, open area down there?" Peter asked, pointing through the glass of a skylight.

Scarlet looked down and saw the spot. It was hard to miss. "Yeah, so?"

"So, that's where I fought Crusher Hogan for the first time."

"Who's Crusher Hogan?" Scarlet asked, but Peter didn't respond; he simply leapt from the roof and swung away. "Huh!" Scarlet sighed, following.

A minute later, they were on the roof of another building. This one was unremarkable in any way; just a an old brown stone, which still seemed to be in some kind of working order.

"You see that building across the street?" Peter asked.

"Yeah."

"If fought Hogan for the second time there."

"What does this have to do with anything?"

"I went collect my money for winning the fight, but I was accused of stealing money instead. I got out of there as fast as I could, and just started walking home after changing my suit when this guy ran up to me. He had just robbed a store-"

"And you stopped him, and became a hero."

"Except I didn't. I let him run right by me."

Scarlet was stunned.

"I kept walking, after being scolded by the shop owners, and finally got home. Uncle Ben and Aunt May then scolded me about my grades, and I ducked out in a hurry. I asked to stay at a friends house, but that "friend" ended up having a party that night, and my Uncle Ben came and got me, embarrassing me in front of a lot people. We had a big fight right there before I ran off yelling at him." Peter swallowed hard. "After cooling off, I went home. There were cop cars everywhere. I ran inside to the worst news of my life."

Scarlet could barely believe what he was hearing. He had wondered, sure, but to actually hear the story of how Uncle Ben had died…

"While the cops were talking to us about the whole thing, I over heard one of the officers getting a call about the guy. I ran out of the interview to where the guy was cornered, snuck inside and beat the living daylights out of him. Then I saw his face-it was the guy who I had let go after robbing the store not four hours ago." Tears filled Peter's eyes the words came from his mouth. He stopped a moment, and took a deep breath to regain his composure.

"It was my fault. It was _all_ my fault. I messed up again, and my uncle paid for it with his life. I can never make it up to him, or Aunt May."

Spider-Man, the best person Scarlet knew, besides Aunt May, was once just a selfish kid that just didn't care until his uncle died by his second hand. "How did you tell her?" Scarlet asked, all fierceness absent from his voice.

Peter smiled under his mask. "After I knew she had found out, I confessed to her-everything. I was tired of secrets, and no matter what it did to our relationship she deserved to know the truth."

"What happened?"

"…She forgave me. She's forgiven you too."

"I doubt that." Scarlet thought.

"Come on, there's one last place I want to show you and this one's on the way."

A short time later, the two un-costumed heroes were back on Peter's street, a short ways down from Peter's home. There were thin cracks still in the concrete, and a small puddle along the side.

"Do you remember this place."

"It's… it's where we stopped Hydroman."

"And where you saved Aunt May, and where she gave you your name. She gave you that name because she saw character in you that you didn't believe was there-to pull it out of you." Scarlet stilled looked.

"She was wrong."

"No, she wasn't, because despite being predestined to hunt and destroy me, you came through for me, her and the city." Peter put a hand on Scarlet's shoulder.

"Look, you made mistakes-big ones, you messed up and trusted the wrong people, but you made the right decision just in time, and you sacrificed your life for others, so trust me when I say you fit right in-you've earned your place with us. You're not an outlier or an outsider, you're family, Ben."

Scarlet looked at his leader and friend. "I just don't know Parker."

"Well, can you figure it out at my house, because we are seriously late!"

Scarlet's eye grew wide. "Don't worry, I called and let her know."

Scarlet was silent, but gave a small nod.

Peter unlocked his front door and walked inside. "Aunt May, we're home!" He called.

"Peter? I'm in the living room. Is Ben-" Aunt May was stopped mid-sentence by the sight the formerly dead spider who bore her late husbands name walking into the living room. She stood.

Scarlet stopped in the doorway as if his feet were stuck to the floor. Nothing frightened him: no villain, no death, nothing except the gaze of the woman looking at him now. His stomach swirled and his eye had tunnel vision.

The living room was silent for what seemed like hours, no one quite sure what to say.

"I'm sorry!" Scarlet blurted out, his growling voice replaced with a shaky one. "I'm sorry I betrayed you, I'm sorry I led a mad man to your door and destroyed your home. I'm sorry you were captured and put in danger after you were nothing but kind to me!" Scarlet's strength was gone; his knees buckled; he fell to the floor. Hot liquid stung his eyes. "There's nothing I can say or do to make it up to you, make it better or repay you for what you've done for me, or to make things go back to the way they were. I can't tell you how sorry I truly am. I understand if you never want to see me again."

Scarlet's face hung towards the floor; his body still, but on the inside he was dying, the weight of the moment killing him. He heard her footsteps come towards him. The next moments, her hands were on his shoulders, lifting him from the floor.

"You're right, there is nothing you can do, but there's something I have done. Look at me," Scarlet lifted his head as high as it would go, which was not far. "I forgave you, Ben."

Aunt May pulled the young man into her arms and hugged him. He was stiff for a moment, not sure how to react probably, but then his body went limp and he fell into the embrace burying his face in her neck releasing the emotions that had been bottled up.

* * *

A short time later, Aunt May, Peter and Ben were seated on the sofa in the living room. "So you've been alive all this time?"

"Yes ma'm. I…I hid in the sewers. I wanted to find Doc Oc, and make him pay for everything he did."

"I see, and it doesn't sound like you were planning to come home when Peter and Mary Jane found you?"

"…No ma'm. I didn't know I still had a home."

"Well, I hope you never decide to stay away from home like that again, because if you do there will be consequences. Understood?"

"Yes ma'm."

"Good. I certainly hope this means things are getting back normal around here."

"That makes two of us." Peter said.

"Three." Ben agreed with a small smile.

"Well then, who wants something to eat?"

"We're starved!"

"Actually…I have one more thing to tell you, Aunt May."

"Is it bigger than Mary Jane having spider powers?"

"Maybe." The happy mood in the room was suspended for a more serious one.

"What is it Ben?"

"Ben, we can do this l-"

"I'm a synthezoid."

"Oh my!" Aunt May gasped before growing silent. "What does that mean exactly?" She asked.

"It means I'm a synthetic being - not real."

Aunt May tilted her head in confusion. "If you're not real, then how are you sitting here?"

"I…I don't know how it works." Ben confessed.

"Who told you this?"

"Doc Ock."

"Hm, well, if I were you, I'd do my investigation and verify that."

"That's a good idea. We'll start tomorrow." Peter said.

"Now, how about that meal?"

"Yes please!"

Aunt May went into the kitchen.

"You think he was telling the truth, right?" Ben asked Peter.

Peter thought for a moment. "…I don't know. Aunt May could be right-she usually is-I think we should do some more digging into it."

"But I could control the Slayers! And when Kaine tried to suck me in-"

"Assimilate."

"Whatever - it worked."

"Yeah, but Kaine never really assimilate you, and it took no time with the Slayers. I think there's more going on here than Ock let on."

"Surprise, surprise. Then…I'm back to square one, as far as knowing who or what I am?"

"Yes, but we have a path to follow now. Don't worry, we'll find the answers."

"Let's find um after Ock is behind bars!"

"Deal!"

"Boys, dinner's ready!" Aunt May called from the kitchen.

"That was fast." Peter called back as he and Ben got up and walked into the kitchen.

"That's my super power." Aunt May said with a wink in her voice.

The small family decided to stand at the kitchen island and eat. After they had finished eating, Peter and Ben volunteered to do the dishes. Aunt May went into the living room to relax.

"Hey, I'll take care of these; you go sit with Aunt May."

"Are you sure? There's a lot of them." Peter asked.

"Go, get out of here." Ben smiled, waving Peter off.

"Alright alright. I know when I'm not needed."

"No, you don't." Ben exhorted.

Peter rolled his eyes and started walking out of the room.

"Hey Peter," Ben began.

Peter stopped in the doorway of the kitchen "Yeah?" he replied over his shoulder.

"…Thanks, for always being someone I can count on."

Peter smiled remembering their conversation from what seemed like a lifetime ago. "Eh, I'm just lucky I have a cool aunt."


	2. Chapter 2

**Surprise! New chapter! I had actually planned to post this soon after the first chapter, but I completely forgot about it until I found it in my notes about two weeks ago. It also plays into my current US story, _Ultimate Reconciliation_ , which I hope you'll check out *cough, shameless plug, cough*, if you haven't already. New chapters for that are up on Sundays.  
**

* * *

The lights were all out at the Parker home. Peter was sleeping soundly in his bed when the ceiling uttered a creaking sound caused his eyes to flutter. He pulled the covers over his head, trying to block out the noise, but the creaking continued. Peter yawned and sat up. _What was that?_ He thought as he sat up, the covers falling from his head. As he got out of bed he saw the window was open.

"Huh?" _That window wasn't open before_. Peter went to the end of his bed to check on Ben, who was suppose to be sleeping at the end of his bed, but when he looked he wasn't in his sleeping bag was empty.

"Ben?" Peter asked the room hoping for an answer.

"Yeah?" Came the faint, unexpected reply. Peter went to the window and stuck out his head.

"Ben?" He asked again.

"Up here!" Peter craned his neck upward. Ben's head appeared at the eve of the roof.

"What are you doing up there?"

"Building a space ship," came the sarcastic answer. Peter quickly opened the window all the way and crawled up to the shingled roof before taking a seat beside Ben.

Ben sat with his legs bent to support his weight, his knees facing the black, star infested sky. Ben's eyes were focused on the city across the Hudson; away from Peter.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Peter commented, looking off at New Jersey.

"The city?" Ben asked, looking at Peter through the corner of his eye. Peter nodded. "Yeah, it is. I never noticed before." _Been to busy betraying my friends._

"You know you can stop beating yourself up about that now. It's over; it's behind us." Ben looked at Peter, mildly stunned.

"What? I can tell what you're thinking too… sometimes… since recently." Ben chuckled, a small smile flickering onto his face in spite of himself.

"You really surprised me early," Peter said suddenly.

"With what?"

"Telling Aunt May about the whole synthazoid thing."

"Figured after all that I'd done I owed her some honestly."

"Still, I was surprised you told her so quickly. You're handling it all pretty well." Ben closed his eyes.

"I'm really not."

"Oh… well… _outwardly,_ I mean."

Ben smiled to himself. With his minds eye he could see Peter rubbing the back of his neck, trying to salvage his complement. It didn't matter to him if his leader's words landed flat on their feet or fell off the rails, "Yeah, I guess." he would do what he could to right them.

"Wanna talk about it?" Peter asked.

"Do I ever?"

"Right…. It might help though. Besides, times, they are a'changin', right? It couldn't hurt."

Ben chuckled again. "I'm good, thanks." Ben heard Peter rise from his seat beside him.

"Alrighty, but if you change your mind. I'm here; Aunt May and me. Until then, I have a eight thirty am class. Oh joy!" Peter started down from the roof.

"Peter!" He stopped. Ben made eye contact.

"What's up?"

"D-do… do you think I can just… disintegrate like that? Like the Slayers. Do you think I could just devolve like them, into nothing?"

"I don't know. I'll ask Iron Spider if he'll run some tests. But whatever's true, we'll face it together, as a team!"

"Yeah. Thanks." Peter started down the roof again. "Pete!"

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry!"

Peter smiled, a knowing look on his face. "I know. I forgive you too. Now, don't stay out here too late."

"Kay _mom."_

"Don't mock me boy, I might be the only 'mom' you get!" With that, Peter went inside, leaving the window cracked so Ben could get back in.

Ben continued to watch the city's before him: New Jersey before him, Manhattan to his right. When he found himself with Ock and Hydra, he rarely thought about the people that lived there. He rarely thought that he would ever have anything to do with them except helping to orchestrate their demise. He thought all of the people that lived in those cities were worthless, that they were evil, and deserved their fate. He had believed every line that he was fed. He certainly never thought that he would ever care about one of them; especially not the very one he had been ordered to destroy. However, now, he couldn't imagine his life without the two people who's house he was resting on. He couldn't imagine New York without her Spider-Man—and as long as he had anything to say about it, it never would be; he would protect Spider-Man Peter Parker, and everything that was precious to him, or die trying!


End file.
